Latest news with #AlcoholTobaccoandFirearms
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas State Police bomb squad unveils new dog-like robot
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas State Police introduced a new member of their bomb squad and SWAT mission team on Monday, a robot dog courtesy of Boston Dynamics. Affectionately named 'Buford,' after a former bomb squad commander and retired Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agent Bill Buford, the department says it will be used in multiple missions to mitigate the risk of life. 'We can use this to go into dangerous situations where we won't have to send an individual,' said Corporal Josh Berry, a bomb technician with the Arkansas State Police. Robotic dogs are patrolling Mar-a-Lago to help protect Trump, Secret Service confirms In those dangerous situations, Berry says the robot, which a member of the department will control, will use artificial intelligence in training to do things like open doors, deliver throw phones, and capture surveillance of a scene before officers would have to be deployed. The robot dog moves on four legs while being controlled by an officer. It uses thermal vision and video recording technology to give officers a set of eyes in a potentially dangerous and life-threatening area from afar. Berry said it would be an addition to their robots already in use on the force. Federal grant money paid for the $282,000 robot. This coming Tuesday and Wednesday, Berry said the state police bomb squad team will undergo 16 hours of hands-on training with Boston Dynamics before the new addition is deployed in the field. 'It's easier than some of our other platforms, we can load this up and put it in a vehicle real quick, versus having to take on of our large response vehicles,' Berry said. Meet Spot, the LAPD's new crimefighting robot dog Berry said the robot's battery life is 90 minutes before it needs to be replaced, adding that Buford is the first of its kind in Arkansas. 'We're not sure on how long it will last, but the great thing they do is send us [software] updates at no additional cost,' Berry said. Berry said they've already shown the robot off at various school events around the central Arkansas area, and any similar future technological investments will be gauged by how well Buford performs in the field. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Yahoo
Little Rock city leaders react after 9 homicides in the month of January
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – There have been nearly 10 homicides in 30 days in Little Rock to start 2025. 'We hadn't had this many coming at this pace in a little while,' Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones said. Thursday, Jones joined local organizations including Arkansas Stop the Violence, Parents of Murdered Children, and Pain to Purpose to plead for change as 4 people have been killed in the last 3 days. 'We need everybody to come together now and say enough is enough,' Jones said. Little Rock police arrest suspect in deadly Park Plaza Mall shooting On Monday, 47-year-old Cynthia Gregory was shot and killed outside of Park Plaza Mall. 18-year-old Abdelrahmanahmed Sallam is behind bars after being accused of killing Gregory. Sallam has been charged with capital murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, theft of property, and refusal to submit to arrest. Early Tuesday morning, police were called to investigate another deadly shooting on Stanton Road. Parents of Catholic High teen killed in Little Rock shooting release statement In that case, 15-year-old John Staats was found dead inside of a car, and a juvenile has been arrested for the murder of Staats. On the same evening of Staats' murder, officers were called to a scene on Labette Manor where 19-year-old Anthony White was found dead from a shooting. On Thursday, police began investigating a fourth homicide which left a woman dead at the Chenal Place Apartments on Reservoir Road. 'Hopefully this is not a trend that continues,' said Jones. Little Rock police identify man killed in Westbridge Apartments shooting Jones adds that crime is down. According to the police, in 2024 Little Rock saw 37 homicides. Although it may not have felt like it, that's a 41% decrease compared to 2023 which had 63 homicides. But despite the numbers, Jones said the youth of Pulaski County are in a crisis. 'We have teenagers carrying guns, shooting at cars, shooting up houses and killing people. They say it takes a village to raise a child but as these men have said, our village has ignored this problem for way too long,' Jones said. At the press conference, proactive measures were discussed to help get guns out the hands of children. Woman killed in deadly shooting at Reservoir Road apartment complex Rev. Bennie Johnon with Arkansas Stop the Violence asked for 'Governor Sanders to pass bringing in the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms to the city of Little Rock to get these weapons off the street.' Will Jones said 'we're trying to figure out how we look outside the box than just this happens; we go to court and this happens. We've got to figure out a way to get with the community before the problem happens.' In the last decade, the largest number of homicides Little Rock had seen in a year was in 2022 where there were 81. Right now, with 9 in the first month of 2025, the capital city is on pace to shatter that. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
